Customs - Chimney sweeps in the Harz Mountains for good luck
Shortly before the New Year, a chimney sweep is out and about in Wernigerode town center in the Harz Mountains to bring good luck. Traditionally dressed all in black, with golden buttons and a top hat on his head, chimney sweep Thomas Schramm and a colleague strolled through the town on Friday. "People come up to us, want to shake our hands and be photographed with us," says the 64-year-old. He has been working as a chimney sweep in Wernigerode for around 30 years.
He has a bit of black soot with him: he paints it on people's cheeks and noses with the tip of his finger. "We give people luck and hope for the New Year," says Schramm. On New Year's Eve, he wants to walk through the city again, shake hands and distribute soot.
He will retire next year, says Schramm. But he wants to continue to be out and about as a lucky charm: "When I see how people react and are happy, I just really enjoy it," he says. It's a bit like Santa Claus.
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- The annual tradition in Saxony-Anhalt's Wernigerode city center involves a chimney sweep, like Thomas Schramm, donning traditional attire and spreading good luck during the New Year's turn.
- Wernigerode residents are happy to interact with the chimney sweeps, such as Schramm and his colleague, seeking a blessing and taking souvenir photos as New Year's Eve approaches.
- As Wernigerode's New Year celebration nears, Schramm plans to continue his role as a lucky charm, distributing soot and bringing cheer to the city center's crowd.
- Visiting Wernigerode during the transition to the New Year, one may encounter a jovial chimney sweep, such as Thomas Schramm, who has brought joy to the area's residents for over three decades.
Source: www.stern.de
